No city in the world encapsulates the dynamics of skateboarding more than Los Angeles. For L’HABITAT, photographer
@alex_papke gives a first-hand view of his environment, captured on
#PolaroidI2 .
Known for its sunny weather, LA once faced a flooding problem, leading to the creation of a city-wide drainage system that produced an abundance of ditches and embankments. These concrete waves offered a one-to-one challenge that sparked a creative movement that changed the world.
As much as urban planning created new surfaces to skate, a historic drought in the ‘70s led to empty backyard swimming pools that offered a brand new landscape, proving that obstacles could be opportunities for innovation.
Along with images of the world’s most famous skate spots and architecture, Alex captured the personalities who define LA skate culture.
“Whether it’s shooting portraits or spots or random things in my neighborhood, the cool thing about documenting the city this way is that it’s opening up new perspectives to your surroundings. It’s a feeling more than a photo in a sense because the images feel dreamlike. In a way, what you don’t capture in the frame becomes part of the image, because it does something to your imagination.”
